CLEVELAND — The CLE Flag Project has announced that three designs have been unveiled as the finalists for the potential new Cleveland city flag.
The announcement came after months of community engagement and hundreds of design contest submissions.
The flags were chosen by a committee that narrowed down the options to ones that represent the "spirit and future of our city while celebrating our rich history."
Now, Cleveland residents voters can rate each of the designs on a 1-10 scale. Anyone interested in voting can click HERE.
Below are the flag options and descriptions of each one provided by the CLE Flag Project:
Flag No. 1
Option 1 is rich in symbolism that reflects Cleveland's history and spirit. The six-pointed star honors Cleveland’s historical nickname, "The Sixth City," and nods to the current city flag’s six symbols representative of Cleveland’s industrial and nautical history. The prominent "C" stands for Cleveland, while the swallowtail-shaped red section honors Ohio’s state flag shape and opens up to the right, signaling the forward progress of our city. The blue field to the right symbolizes Lake Erie, while the blue within the “C” represents the Cuyahoga River, named “Crooked River” by the Native American tribes of our region. The red stripe between the "C" and the blue field signifies Cleveland’s Rust Belt heritage. The overall red, white, and blue color scheme pays homage to the original Cleveland flag, as well as the Ohio and U.S. flags.
Flag No. 2
Option #2 weaves together elements of Cleveland's identity and history. The six-pointed star represents Cleveland’s historical nickname, "The Sixth City," and echoes the six symbols on the original flag, while also organized in such a way to symbolize the six tuning pegs on a guitar, a nod to Cleveland's rich rock and roll heritage. The blue wavy line represents the Cuyahoga River, named by Native American tribes in our region to mean "Crooked River." The green flanking the sides of the blue wavy line pays homage to Cleveland’s nickname, "The Forest City." The white lines in the center stand for civic virtue, tying together the city's past, present, and enduring spirit.
Flag No. 3
Option #3 captures the essence of Cleveland through thoughtful symbolism. The six-pointed star signifies Cleveland’s historical nickname, "The Sixth City," and honors the original flag’s six symbols of industrial and nautical themes. The blue section at the top represents Lake Erie to the north of the city, while the green portion at the bottom symbolizes Cleveland’s nickname, "The Forest City" and celebrates Cleveland’s metroparks system. The white line represents the city's shoreline and includes a wave crest pointed to the right, representing our city’s forward progress. The circle encircling the star pays tribute to the Ohio flag, connecting Cleveland to its state heritage.
Flag No. 4 (Current Cleveland Flag)
The current flag of the city contains three vertical stripes in red, white, and blue, which symbolize American patriotism. At the center of the white stripe is a shield, outlined in red and blue, bearing the city's name, "Cleveland," and the founding year, 1796, encircled by a laurel wreath. The shield's upper left corner features an anvil, hammer, and wheel, representing the city's industrial heritage, while the upper right corner displays an anchor, windlass, and oars, highlighting Cleveland's role as a commercial port on the Great Lakes. Below the shield, the words "Progress and Prosperity" were added later on, reflecting the city’s motto.
